In the opinion of many people, the law is a necessary evil that should be used only when everyday informal ways of settling disputes break down.

13. In what circumstances do people think of their everyday activities as legal matters?

Only when we are injured in a train accident, or when a neighbour refuses to behave reasonably, do we start thinking about the legal implications of everyday activities.

14. Are laws for lawyers or for ordinary people?

Laws are for lawyers and for ordinary people both.

15. What will you do if your neighbour plays loud music at night? Will you go to the court?

For the first I’ll try to discuss the matter with neighbour. And will go to the court if neighbour refuses to behave reasonably.

16. How do people solve problems in the United States and in Japan?

In some societies, such as the United States, precise written contracts, lawyers, and courts of law have become a part of daily life, whereas in others, such as Japan, lawyers are few and people tend to rely on informal ways of solving disagreements.

17. Why do multinational companies employ expensive experts in law?

Multinational companies employ expensive experts to ensure them their contracts are valid wherever they do business.

18. In your opinion, is law merely a function of political power?

No, law more that function of political power, it is rules, that adjusts human relations.

19. Can ordinary citizens challenge the decisions of their governments? How?

Yes, they can challenge the decisions of their governments in courts of law.

20. Why do people increase attempts to internationalize legal standards?

People increase attempts to internationalize legal standards because workers, refugees, commodities and environmental pollution are traveling around the world faster than ever before.

21. When is law regarded as a bad thing?

When law involves time and money and highlights people`s inability to cooperate informally, law seems to be an evil.

22. Are there any laws in Russia that you would like to change or introduce?

I would introduce law to reduce the administrative apparatus and reduce salaries to officials.

Language focus

Put the verb in brackets into the correct form, present simple, past simple or present perfect.

It is obvious to everyone that, in a community such as the one in which we live, some kind of law is necessary. When the world was at a very primitive stage, there was no such law. But, for a very long time now, members of every community have made laws for themselves in self-protection.

Every day of our lives we are restrained and guided by law. It protects us while it restricts us. Sometimes it punishes us. It determines the registration of our births and the distribution of our possessions at death. It tells us how fast we can drive and how long we must attend school.

Every country tryes, therefore, to provide laws which will help its people to live safely and as comfortably as possible. This is not at all an easy thing to do, and no country is successful in producing laws which are entirely satisfactory. But we are far better off with the imperfect laws which we have, than if we had none at all.